TRANSCENDENTALISM

In his lecture, in Boston in 1842, Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, "Whatever belongs to the class of intuitive thought is popularly called at the present day Transcendental . . . there is no pure Transcendentalist, yet the tendency to respect the intuitions and to give them, at least in our creed, all authority over our experience, . . . " (Emerson 104). This illustrates Emerson's confidence in his own intuition and imagination, as well as that of future mankind. In the same lecture, Emerson further illustrated this point by asking, "What is the privilege and nobility of our nature but its persistency, through its power to attach itself to what is permanent?" (Emerson 109). Emerson appears to be supremely confident that the mind of man is so noble that it will instinctively

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ture, history and ultimately the cosmos itself" (Barbour 16). As primary figures in the transcendental movement, Emerson and Thoreau shared this philosophy, but held divergent views in many areas, perhaps due to the fact that Thoreau was Emerson's student and close friend. At some point, Thoreau departed from Emerson's views of self-reliance and formed his own ideas. Emerson expressed his oneness with God, the absolute, the Oversoul, and the spirit and was less tempted to become immersed in the means of expressing these ends. Thoreau physically immersed himself in expressing these ideas. For example, Thoreau interpreted his views on self-reliance in a less abstract way than Emerson. He practiced his philosophies, for example, by not paying taxes, not wearing a necktie, and growing his own food. In social intercourse, Thoreau practiced a truthfulness that some considered rude. Though Thoreau's basic ideas and intent paralleled and in some cases stemmed from Emerson's ideas, he took them much further. In other words, Thoreau translated Emerson's intellectual thoughts and ideas into action. The philosophies and ideas Thoreau expresses in "Walden" exemplify this. In the area of politics, Emerson said, "Every actual State
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Approximate Word count = 1947
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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